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Wow, today is the big day. I took a few days off work to prepare myself, and I haven't made any plans for the weekend, so I can just sit with "The Decision."

Hopefully, Wade and Bosh have realized how unimportant they are, and are now prepared to support The Brand if he comes to Miami.

For the record, I think that playing with the 4th and 5th picks from his draft class is OK, but my man LeBron does things in a BIG way. I see him teaming up with the number 2 pick from that draft. LaBran to Minny!

Is Heat really the place a man with James huge ego would go? I would think he was looking for something more like the Jordan/Pippen-constellation so it's he who wins the titles, not the dream team. I'd say Bulls would make sense in that case since they have a great lineup but not a superstar line up. A frontcourt with Noah, Boozer and James would get you a few rebounds and Rose on top of that - scarier than Bosh/Wade/James + a bunch of min salaries imo. A much more balanced team also and not as sensitive to injuries. I'm guessing the Bulls.

I still think the best place for him to go is (1) Chi (2)NJN (3)NYK (4)Clips (5)Clev (6)Mia. If he cares about winning and the league he won't sign in Mia, the Wade/James rivalry is something that the league benefits from overall.

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If I'm LBJ, with the ego and stuffs, I'll go anywhere from the 5 teams you mentioned except Miami. I'll take up the challenge and make the league more compatible instead being a coward and end up in Miami to collect the rings. Be a man and take up the challenge. Go either to NY or Chicago. Miami has Wade & Bosh, a 2 star tandem. Well, LBJ can go to NY and start his 2 star tandem with himself & Amare. In Chicago, you may end up with the Big 4 in Rose, Noah, Boozer & himself.

Wow, today is the big day. I took a few days off work to prepare myself, and I haven't made any plans for the weekend, so I can just sit with "The Decision."

Hopefully, Wade and Bosh have realized how unimportant they are, and are now prepared to support The Brand if he comes to Miami.

For the record, I think that playing with the 4th and 5th picks from his draft class is OK, but my man LeBron does things in a BIG way. I see him teaming up with the number 2 pick from that draft. LaBran to Minny!

Click to expand...

You've really taken the proper perspective on this, Linwood. It's insight like yours that keep me returning to this forum.

I think I will take the rest of the day off too so I can go to the chapel and pray that HE makes a decision that is best for all of mankind.

Like it or not, tomorrow night LeBron James(notes) is going on television and telling us all where he's playing next year. If you're a basketball fan, you'll probably be watching. Heck, even if you're just a casual watcher of the sport you'll probably be watching. Even if it's ridiculous — albeit so obviously preordained — it's a big deal because whatever happens will affect the NBA for at least the next 10 years.
But no matter how big this announcement will be, not everybody is going to watch. One guy included in that group is Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy who hilariously elucidated his feelings on this summer's free agency super extravaganza to the Orlando Sentinel's Tania Ganguli.
First, SVG's thoughts on LeBron's ESPN special, "The Decision":

Come on, an hour long? It takes 15 seconds to say "I've decided to stay in Cleveland" but we've got another 59 minutes and 45 seconds to, what? Promote LeBron James? As if we don't do that enough. Look, the guy's a great player and wherever he goes, my bet would be Cleveland, that place will be excited. But an hour long special?
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Stan Van Gundy knows what's up. And as good as his zingers about LeBron's show are, perhaps his best quips were reserved for Chris Bosh(notes). Here's what he said when told of Bosh's decision to join Dwyane Wade(notes) in Miami.

Well, he's been following him around for two weeks like his lapdog. So that doesn't really surprise me.
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And then later, when asked about James possibly joining his bros with the Heat.

If he went anywhere but Cleveland I'd be shocked, but I'd be doubly shocked if he went to Miami. [Wade and James] both want to be the man. I think Chris Bosh was a different story. I think he had tried to be the man. It didn't work. I think he's willing to be a very, very good second fiddle.
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Ya burnt, Chris Bosh. Ya burnt so bad. Of course, since he's smart and media savvy, Van Gundy also praised the Heat for their moves and Bosh for understanding that he can be successful in a Pau Gasol role. But really, he was just saying what a lot of people think — the LeBron show is overkill and Chris Bosh is really just an extremely good second fiddle who has been desperately latching on to better players all summer.
Stan Van Gundy — always the screaming, gasping

I have a different perspective....I don't want to see Dwayne Wade and Pat Riley win any more rings, so my hope is someone gets injured and derails this dream team fantasy the next 5 years.. We don't want to see the Heat on every weekly ESPN and TNT game listening to both the announcers and the studio guys fall over themselves trying to figure out who will be the leading scorer and how many points they will will win by....

So please Lebron, shock the heat fans and ESPN bandwagoners and say you are staying home or going to the Nets or Bulls....

I will say, if he does this "I'm scared of real competition thing" and joins Miami, it will be interesting to watch Wade and LeBron, one or the other, or both, play the game without the ball in their hands all game long. Both these guys dribble the living snot out of the ball, especially Wade. Is LeBron willing to be a PG, in reality, most of the time?

My guess is they'll find a way, an overwhelming way, to make it work.

And I'm serious. I'm not spending a dime on the NBA in any way shape or form. I'll watch games on free tv and over the internet (free). I'm not interested in supporting a product where my team will never have a fair chance.

I'm not spending a dime on the NBA in any way shape or form. I'll watch games on free tv and over the internet (free). I'm not interested in supporting a product where my team will never have a fair chance.

This has to be the first time I see someone whining about players who GIVE UP money to play on good teams. Everyday I read about fans who goes at players about "it's all about the money" and the few who takes paycuts are celebrated like heroes. Like this season in Sweden, Peter Forsberg and Markus Näslund joined their club of origin MoDo, in the middle of the season, who was on their way to relegation and played for FREE. (or Forsberg even payed money from his own pocket so MoDo could go get former Colorado player Dan Hinote) They almost got MoDo to play offs and was saluted like heroes for what they did, even by the fans of the clubs who was relegated from the top league, because it showed that some people care about more than money. This relegation will probably have a lot bigger impact on these clubs than 10 straight Heat titles will on any NBA team since it's almost impossible to get back to the league if you get relegated.

I don't give a darn if all 3 play for Mia and they convince Dwight Howard and CP3 to join them. I'll still watch because I AM A BASKETBALL JUNKIE!!! HighSchool, Rec League, WNBA, I don't care! And NOTHING will make me count my team out!!!

I will stay but only if you promise to support Mr. James. I'm starting to get the feeling that the folks around here don't like him very much. Nahh...that isn't possible...Prolly just my imagination and me being overly sensitive.

I will stay but only if you promise to support Mr. James. I'm starting to get the feeling that the folks around here don't like him very much. Nahh...that isn't possible...Prolly just my imagination and me being overly sensitive.

Even David Stern, the N.B.A. commissioner, took time out before a bicycle ride in Sun Valley, Idaho, to profess some bewilderment. “Is it all about hope?” Stern said. “I guess it is. And hope is a wonderful thing. But we’ve said for a long time that our players have become the most recognizable of athletes and celebrities, and LeBron is the most well known of the group.”

Are we sure ESPN's The Decision has not already started?? I have had ESPN on since 8 AM this morning and 90% of the stories have been about Lebron and the Heat....

I am so tired or Tim Legler and Chris Broussard over analysis of the situation and I am sure if Stuart Scott is running the show tonight it will be even worse... LBJ is supposed to make the DECISION in the first 10 minutes...the rest of the show will be a bunch of BS which will probably include an elated or disappointed Pat Wade-Bosh Riley.